No Spray Coalition News Flash -- APRIL 12, 2002
Toxified City Residents Catch a Break Congratulations! The City opened the bids this morning for aerial pesticide spraying. Lo and behold - NO ONE SUBMITTED BIDS! We believe that this was due to all the pressure brought to bear on spraying companies by the No Spray Coalition, New York Environmental Law & Justice Project, and other activists through lawsuits, protests, publicity and the possibility of heavy fines, such as the $1 million fine against Clarke Environmental that we fought for and won last year. Companies, we've been told, simply felt it "wasn't worth it" to bid for the aerial spraying contract. One company submitted a bid for larviciding sewers and such. Chalk up a much needed victory for our side. The City could, however, reschedule bidding or attempt to pilot the helicopters on its own - an unlikely scenario, but not totally out of the question since the DOH wants to spray us this year with Scourge (Resmethrin + piperonyl butoxide + "inerts"). The Department of Health resorted to having the Sanitation Dept. spray us with Anvil (Sumithrin +) last year. No official word yet on what was spent monetarily nor the health and environmental consequences. In a city that has had its share of toxic overload and is trying to pare its budget, removing the millions of dollars of unnecessary and indiscriminate pesticide spraying would be a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, the No Spray lawsuit moves forward. Both sides are filing motions for summary judgment, and the Judge has scheduled a "settlement conference" for next week. The Mayor, thus far, has not responded to our requests to meet with him. Please check the hotline at (718) 670-7110 for updates. Finally, for those who will be at the Socialist Scholars Conference this weekend at Cooper Union in Manhattan, Mitchel will be speaking about Anthrax at a workshop on Sunday, April 14, 1:30 pm, Foundation Building room 312. This is a terrific panel sponsored by the radical philosophy association, on "State Terrorism and Terrorizing Dissent." Hope you can come! Tariq Ali is speaking on an opening panel TONIGHT (Friday), and again at the Brecht Forum on Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. - Mitchel Cohen, for the No Spray Coalition No Spray Coalition PO Box 334 Peck Slip Station NYC 10272 Hotline: (718) 670-7110 website: www.nospray.org listserve: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The No Spray Coalition is funded solely by its activist base. Please contribute what you can to help sustain these efforts. Thank you. * * *